Today saw the wrap up of the Samsung vs. Apple patent
lawsuit, as both sides gave their closing arguments. Each company says that the
other infringed upon its patents and stole the technology in their devices to
gain a large share of the smartphone market. Apple, being its usual self,
claims that their products had been created by ‘true geniuses’ and that Samsung
stole key features such as the slide to unlock and the search functionality, to
help them keep up. Samsung claims that Apple infringed on their patents to make
FaceTime possible and points out that they used Google’s Android operating
system to run their devices. Interestingly, Google is not named in this suit, although
one could argue that if anything is infringing on Apple’s patents its Android,
and not Samsung’s hardware. I wouldn’t want to be one of the eight jurors who
now have to decide who’s infringing on whom.
This brings me to my topic for today, which is the ever
present Google. Is there anything Google is not involved in? First think about
the obvious ones, which is Google’s online presence. Google includes its
initial function as a search engine; its widely popular email service, Gmail;
its venture into a social network with Google+; Google Maps, Google News,
Google Scholar, Google books, Google Image, Google video, Google translate,
Google Docs, Google Calendar, Google drive, etc. You get my point. Now think
about operating systems, they invented the most widely used phone operating
system in the world, Android; as well as a laptop operating system called
Chrome OS that gives users an alternative to Windows, Mac or Linux. As for
hardware, they’ve got tablets and phones (the Nexus series), as well as the Chromebook (laptop) and Chromecast (media streaming device).
But it is the products that Google makes that fall outside
of these categories that are truly interesting. Developed in a facility called
Google X, Google works on projects that most of us have only heard of in
science fiction movies. Some of the things that are supposedly worked on at
this facility include things such as a space elevator, a hover board, contact
lenses that monitor glucose levels, and a project that is trying to bring
internet to everyone through balloons flying in the stratosphere. Two things
however, have become very real products that may have a huge impact on our
society.
The first, is Google Glass. Essentially a head mounted
computer, it allows wearers to interact with the internet through voice
commands. Users can search the internet, take photos and videos, sends text
messages and emails, use google maps, etc. (To get an idea of what Google Glass
can do: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1uyQZNg2vE).
While this is an amazing device that has endless possibilities, it seems our
society is unprepared for it in many ways. Huge privacy concerns have been
raised considering Glass wearers can take pictures and record video of others
without their permission or their awareness. The legal system also seems to be
unsure of how to deal with Glass, considering the implications of using the
technology and driving (distracted driving?), filming arrests, etc. There is
also the fact that these users are walking around talking to themselves
(although is that much different than those talking into their Apple earbud
mics?). I think people aren’t quite sure how to adapt to these devices and that
they will eventually gain traction.
The second product that is becoming a reality is Google’s
driverless car. They have logged over a million kilometers in self-drive mode,
although much of that is on the freeway. Yesterday Google released a video
showing the kinds of obstacles their cars have overcome when it comes to city
driving. They can now deal with things such as cyclists, construction, rail way
tracks, pedestrians, parked cars, etc (to watch the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dk3oc1Hr62g#t=66).
However these cars are a long way from being ready for the public, and Google
isn’t quite sure how to market or sell them (adopt an Android like attitude and
give away the software?). Think about the benefits! Drivers could read or sleep
or do anything while heading somewhere. The transportation industry would be
transformed because you could replace drivers with driverless trucks. They wouldn’t
need to stop to sleep or eat or rest. Imagine being picked up by a driverless
taxi late at night, would you feel safer? Similar to Google Glass however,
lawmakers aren’t quite sure how to deal with these cars. Some states have
allowed them on the road for testing purposes only, and they still require a
person in the car at all times.
With all of this said, is Google well on its way to being a
constant presence in our lives? Is it already there? Is Google really out to
help make the world a better place? Even with good intentions, are all of these
products going to make our lives better? It will be interesting to see in the
coming years how much of our lives include the entity that is Google.
